14-year-old girl brutally raped, killed in Ahmednagar

MUMBAI: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and murdered. Her body was badly mutilated at Kopardi village in Karjat taluka of Ahmednagar district on July 13.

Police said three men involved in the crime have been arrested. They said the incident took place around 6.45 pm on July 13 when the girl was returning home from her grandfather’s house, around 500 metres away. The victim is survived by her parents, an elder brother and a younger sister.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor in the case after demonstrations seeking his appointment. But the opposition demanded Fadnavais’ resignation over the matter on “moral grounds”.

It has been confirmed through the post mortem reports that she had been raped and tortured. The flesh from all over her body, including her genitals, were torn. Her hair had been pulled out, hands were dislocated from the shoulders, her teeth were smashed and she was strangled to death after rape.

Ahmednagar Superintendent of Police Saurabh Tripathi said.“The three persons stopped her and forced themselves on her and later murdered her. The post-mortem has revealed fractured bones and internal injuries that led to her death.”

The body was spotted under a tree on July 13 night after the family started looking for her when she did not return home. Her bicycle was found abandoned near a canal.

All three accused, Jitendra Shinde, Santosh Bhaval and Nitin Dhailume, were arrested. Tripathi said Shinde alias ‘Pappu’ was arrested on 14 July while the other two accused were held later.

They have been booked under IPC sections 376 (punishment for rape), 302 (murder) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Social and political organisations staged protests in Karjat and Ahmednagar after the incident came to light. The organisations demanded that a fast-track court be convened for the trial in the case and accused brought to justice.

The Congress leader said. “We have a chief minister who also holds Home portfolio. He refuses to acknowledge that law and order situation in the state is deteriorating under his tenure. He did not even have time to go and visit the bereaved family. He should immediately take moral responsibility and resign.”

Leader Of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde demanded capital punishment for the accused, besides a high-level inquiry. The victim was a kabaddi player and had represented the school in the district level.

SP Tripathi, who visited one of the protest sites in Ahmednagar town along with District Collector Anil Kakadi on Saturday, said he would forward a proposal to state home department to appoint a Special Investigative Team to probe the crime.